9.21.2016

Book Style: Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing
For outfit details click image.
Continuing our adventure in Shakespearean Book Styles, today we're styling Much Ado About Nothing. For those unfamiliar with it's slightly complex plot - seriously, I love The Bard's comedies, but an Abbot and Costello routine is often easier to follow - let me give you a brief outline: Benedick and Beatrice secretly love each other, but don't even know it themselves, so spend all their time flirting bickering while their friends scheme to set them up. Claudio and Hero fall head-over-heels in love before an asshole named Don John tricks Claudio into believing Hero has been unfaithful, leading to Claudio slut-shaming her on their planned wedding day. Before the truth is revealed and all the lovers can be reunited Hero "dies from shame". When Don John's plans are finally uncovered, a distraught Claudio is forced by Hero's father (who's been bankrolling the insane amount of festivities the entire play, btw) to publicly un-slander Hero and to marry Hero's "cousin" who is really Hero-who-only-faked-her-death because nothing says true love like being called a whore and then giving your One True Love a heart attack from shock at the altar. I always like the bickering Beatrice and Benedick better, anyways. 

Onto the actual clothing. I drew inspiration for this outfit from a modern Italian donna di mondo. I paired this "Claudio" skirt with a military-style sleeveless blouse for the sheer joy of contrast, floaty meets regimented. A "Real Hero" leather jacket easily takes this look into colder temps. These "Margaret" booties also transition nicely into colder temps - just add tights when you get chilly! A striking "Beatrice" tote bag and a "Beatrice" rose crown are so delightfully Italian to me. A statement "Hero" bracelet pairs nicely with a "Gossip" citrine ring, "Ursula" tassel necklace, and masquerade-worthy earrings. A pair of "Benedict" aviators add the perfect incognito touch. 

8.17.2016

Book Style + Review: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Harry Potter And The Cursed Child
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, inspired by an original story by J. K. Rowling is the subject of today's Book Style. I'm going to talk about the book below in more detail, since it's a bit spoiler heavy, so let's jump right into the Book Style.

A pair of black Harry's jeans and a vibrant "Ginny" tank form the base. On top I've added a "Stockholm Syndrome" cardigan for an extra witchy vibe and because I have some feels about how Delphi was raised. A pair of magical "Scorpius" sneakers and a "Magic Touch" hat will keep the tip and the toes covered. For jewelry I added a "Rubber & Magic" ring, a serpent arm band, an Augurey-inspired feather necklace, and a pair of skull earrings. For accessories I chose a "Witch Craft" clutch, a black magic phone case, and a pair of "B'witched" sunglasses to hide that evil gleam in your eyes. The final touch is a bit of sparkly "Dirty Baby" nail lacquer.

Okay, onto my thoughts about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Careful, SPOILERS ahead!



I won't be the first person to proclaim that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child gave me a lot of mixed feelings. Unlike some people, I'm okay with the story continuing. I'm even okay with the play as a whole - even if I wish it wasn't ONLY a play. Losing Jo's voice, as integral to the world of Harry Potter as the Boy Who Lived, himself, is a bit of a blow to the emotional depth of the story. And reading a play always means experiencing less character insight than a novel allows. We are suddenly stripped of the inner monologues, the nuanced emotions, the narrative point of view. If I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child live in London, I believe that I wouldn't be mourning this lack of intimacy. I like to think I'm blessed with a fairly creative imagination and Jack Thorne's stage direction allowed me to get a sense of what being in the theater would actually be like, but reading it on paper is cold. I would recommend really looking at the cast and performance photos ahead of time to help envision the characters better. I will admit that picturing them as the overdone "aged" versions from the final film never worked well for me. With the lack of physical descriptions in the script, I found it easier to see them that way.

What I do love about the direction that Jo guided Thorne and John Tiffany in is that the play addresses a few of the qualms I had with her original ending. They are able to add a bit more depth to Dumbledore and Snape by acknowledging that while admirable in their sacrifices, they were deeply flawed humans. I'm still not sure how I feel about Voldemort and Bellatrix getting it on. I know Bellatrix would've been all about it, but Voldemort always struck me as being incredibly asexual. I can't picture him getting off on anything but power and cruelty. Maybe the were into BDSM. Or maybe they used some sort of magical in vitro to produce an heir of the Heir of Slytherin. So, that's weird. I hate that Delphi misses out on an opportunity at being a more three dimensional character by being introduced in a play and losing out on us seeing her better. Not thrilled that there's an air of being desperate for daddy's approval, either. I feel like making her evil in her own right would have been a better move. Voldemort's heir would surely want power for herself in her father's absence, not to bring him back to power. Maybe if they'd elaborated on her background more and her upbringing and how much indoctrination she had actually been subjected to. Ah, if wishes were horses... All in all, I am glad I read it and I enjoyed dipping my toes back into the magical world of Harry, Ron and Hermione.

If you're on the fence about this one, I would recommend it with a couple of caveats: Remember it's a play. Remember that it isn't a story about Harry, it's a story about Albus and Scorpius.